Anywhere but here
by Supreme Shadow
Summary: Set during the Chaos arc in STC. Sonic abandons his friends after failing in his duty. What nobody knew was where he went. Bah, I suck at summaries. Read and enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

He turned, one last time. One last look home.

_Sorry, guys. Guess you'll hafta get a new hero._

Then he climbed the steps to the Destiny Ring, ignoring its protests. "Just... send me anywhere. Anywhere but here." he mumbled. The portal warped and swirled around him. The last thing he saw was the sun, rising over the emerald hills.

Beneath him, the ground was firm. The air was fresh, and the sky was clear. He stomped off, away from the Ring. "Never going back."

He didn't run. Didn't have the right. Not after Johnny. After that noise. That horrible crack, that still rattled around the inside of his head. Blink away the tears.

A fresh start. No more heroing. No more derring-do. No more responsibility. He knew the guilt would stay with him, though. He deserved it.

What a wierd world.

Those mountains... just like the Hilltop Zone. And... _was that the Floating Island?!_

"Lied to me!" he snarled, swinging around to the Ring. Which wasn't there. Left him on Mobius! He screamed wordlessly at the silent sky.

An observer would have seen him stop, shaking his head. And they would have seen him vanish. But there were no observers in the ruins of Mobotropolis.

The familiar-but-not-quite-the-same landscape became a blur. Not Mobius. Like it, though. Didn't matter. The Ring screwed him over, left him at almost-home. Grass gave way to concrete, then back to grass as he moved on and on. And on and on and on.

Finally, he skidded to a halt before the ocean. The sunlight sparkled on the surf, as the fierce wind whipped through his spikes. Shading his eyes with his hands, he watched the waves crash on the beach.

"LAST ONE IN'S A ROTTEN EGG!"

_Oh no._

He watched as he ran into the waves with Tails. Others lounged on the beach. Another Sonic. Not him. Not Tails. He ducked back, dropping out of sight.

Below, in the waves, Sonic spotted a spiky shape trying to hide. _Shadow?_ He grinned. _If you wanted in, bro, you only had to ask._ He raised a finger, shushing Tails. "Watch this."

Sonic breathed easier. They hadn't seen him. No need to-

"HEYSHADOWHOWYOUDOINGWANNAGOSWIMMING?!"

The splash was not as loud as he thought it would be. The shriek of outrage was much louder. "Oh, man, Shadow, what I'd give to have seen your faaaaaaaacccceeee!" The other one rose from the waves like a vengeful sea-beast, ploughing into him.

"Big mistake, buddy!" the other yelled, punching him in the guts hard and often. "You just picked the worst day to-" he began, before realising that the other's friends were behind him.

"Drop him."

He whirled, and stopped. The closest one was Tails. Couldn't hurt Tails. Which was how the native Sonic knocked him out.

The last thing he heard was "Scourge-"

_Meanwhile, on the Floating Island..._

The attacker was powerful. It tore through walls like paper. Behind it, thousands more ominously hung in the air. One was enough for the task, though.

Ten thousand lasers scythed through the air, exposing the Shrine of the Emerald. The attacker grabbed it, claiming it.

"So begins the end."

And it was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

"-mazing."

He stirred, blinking the cobwebs away. Bright lights, everywhere. Straps holding him down. He tried to turn his head. Some walrus was lecturing the other Sonic and Tails. Sounded like Porker.

"Its not Scourge. He's from another universe, sure, and he's recently been super-charged with chaos energy. But beyond that, I got nothing." the walrus was saying. The other, the native, noticed him stirring.

"Well, let's see what he has to say for himself." The native advanced on him, annoyed. "And I'd really like to hear his excuse for messing up my spikes."

"You attacked me, eejit. Remember? Your little tackle." Sonic snapped, straining against his bonds. "Now, where am I?!"

"Let him up."

A soft, female voice, used to giving orders. "He was defending himself. Now let him up." The bonds snapped away from him, and he dragged himself up from the table. "And maybe then he can tell us who he is."

No way. No way. Sally? The journalist? What kind of world was this?

"I'm Sonic. I thought I'd get a little peace here. Clearly I was wrong." he explained, storming past her. "So, if you don't mind, I'm gonna go try to find some."

Outside, the sun shone on a beautiful little town, so similar to the Emerald Hill before Robotnik. More built up, though. He could hear the sounds of happy people all around. _Now, this, I like._ With a grin, he wandered through the town, not noticing the way people acted in his presence. They stood a little straighter, or stepped aside.

"SONIC!" A girl, a mongoose, slammed into him, knocking him flat. _What is with these people and tackles?!_ "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

He gently pushed her off, and pointed back in the direction he came. "Head twenty feet that way, kid. I'm not the hog you think I am." And kept walking.

"Bu... I thought... you..." she stammered.

"Hey Mina, you see a hunky lump of hedgehog anywhere?" said Sonic, skidding to a halt beside her. When he saw her confusion, he explained "Alternate world, not the true blue you know. Which way did he go?" She pointed wordlessly. "Thanks, kid."

The vast canyon yawned beneath his feet. _So like home. But not quite. That river's new. And the fishing rock isn't there. So weird._

"Word just came in, bro." The native called, skidding to a halt behind him. "Some mega big bad guy just thrashed Locke and swiped a heckuva lot of Chaos energy from the Master Emerald. You a bad enough dude to tag along?"

"Who's Locke?"

"What, you don't have Locke back home? Knuckles's dad."

"Knuckles has a father?" _Curiouser and curiouser._ "Can't you handle it?"

"Thought you'd wanna tag, is all. Bust some heads, kick some butt. Don't you do that back home?"

"Used to. I'm outta that whole thing now."

He turned, and then the native noticed the tears in his eyes. "Just... just leave me alone."

"What happened?"

"Go save the world, pal. All anyone like us is good for." And then he was gone, streaking across the canyon.

"So, where's this other you? He just as much a big-mouth as you or what?" Knuckles asked, as Sonic returned. He tossed the warp ring up, activating it. "Just the four of us, right? You, you, me and Tails?"

"He's not coming." Sonic answered as he stepped through the ring. "Now let's save the day, huh?" The Ring scwarped shut as the last member of the group, Tails, darted through.

"Oh, I am never gonna get used to that." Sonic moaned, clutching his stomach. "I hate teleporting."

Around them, everything seemed fine. Minor damage, but nothing serious. The Island seemed a little lower than usual, though. _Wow, whoever siphoned the juice took a lot._

"C'mon, the Chamber's this way." Knuckles said, gritting his teeth as he led the way. "Let's try to keep this short, please?"

"Uh, Sonic?" Tails began.

"C'mon little buddy. Don't lag behind." Sonic told him, following Knuckles.

"Sonic, those aren't clouds."

"What? Tails, have you been eating those weird banana's again?" Sonic snapped, turning back. "O' course they're clouds. Otherwise they'd be a..."

"Smokescreen, spikeball? Yes. Yes, they would." A booming metallic voice echoed through the air. A tall, powerfully built robot stepped before them. A crown of spikes. Gleaming golden armour. And a crimson cape set it all off rather nicely. "Surrender, now."

"Well, what have we got here?"

Sonic raised his head from his shoulders. "Who-?"

A green, mean looking hedgehog stepped from behind a hut. "Me." He adjusted his shades. "So, thought you'd hunt me down, huh?" He shifted his feet. "Not gonna be that easy, loser."

_Oh, goody. I'm mistaken for my alternate self by an enemy. How very original and uncliche._

_Why can't this crazy world just leave me alone?_


End file.
